The Darjeeling Dooars United Development
Foundation, a newly formed apolitical body, today established its main
office in Darjeeling town. The DDUDF is the brainchild of Mahendra P
Lama, former vice chancellor of Sikkim University, who is contesting in
the upcoming general elections from Darjeeling as an independent
candidate.
Bereft of any political allegiance, the
organisation’s primary agenda is of achieving a separate state and also
the all-round development of both the Darjeeling hills and the Dooars.
Speaking today from the new office
located in the Upper Clubside Stand, Lama said, “The DDUDF is a noble,
innovative and comprehensive initiative by the members of civil society,
and social, political and professional formations of Darjeeling
district and the Dooars. It has been born out of the need to enhance the
level of consciousness and standard of debate and discourse on
politics, development and environmental, educational, professional and
other critical issues that concern Darjeeling and the Dooars.”
Lama, who is also the president of the
organisation, said the DDUDF will act as a robust, forward-looking and
independent forum and also as a think-tank for all people to participate
and contribute to issues of social, cultural, political, economic and
environmental and other public concerns and interests. The DDUDF will
also propagate and advocate the most modern yet appropriate strategies,
traditional yet time tested frameworks and cost-effective and
all-inclusive approaches to political, social, economic and
environmental, public and national issues.
The DDUDF has set a 25-point objective
to address the issues of securing for the people of Darjeeling and the
Dooars a ‘purna swaraj’ (complete self governance) in the form of a
separate state within the constitutional framework of the country. It
will aim to bring forth the critical issue of identity of Indian Gorkhas
at the highest decision making bodies both at the state and national
levels and come up with a durable and permanent solution. The DDUDF will
also ensure adequate representation of the people of Darjeeling and the
Dooars in policy-making bodies such as the state assembly, Parliament
and other regional and national institutions.(EOIC)